Versus Engine
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 (16GB) vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
Specs, price and the one trade-off that actually decides it — Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 (16GB) against NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, side by side.
Cheaper to start
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 (16GB)
Starts about $600 lower.
Rated higher
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
9.5 vs 9.1 on our design scale.
Standout
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 (16GB)
Solid generational gain over the 4080
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 (16GB)
A solid generational step over the 4080 at $999, still capped at 16GB of VRAM.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Solid generational gain over the 4080
- Much better cost per frame than the 5090
- Strong for rendering and video work
Cons
- 16GB VRAM — no more model headroom than a 5070 Ti at two-thirds the price
- Cannot run 70B-class inference
- Expensive for what it adds over the tier below
Specifications
- memory16GB GDDR7
- cuda_cores10752
- memory_bus256-bit
- architectureBlackwell
- memory_bandwidth960 GB/s
- total_graphics_power360W
- tdp—
- tier—
- vram—
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
The undisputed champion of consumer GPUs, offering 24GB of GDDR6X VRAM and unmatched tensor core performance for AI training and inference.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Unmatched raw compute
- 24GB VRAM for large batches
- Excellent software ecosystem (CUDA)
Cons
- Massive physical size
- High power draw (450W)
- Scalper pricing common
Specifications
- memory—
- cuda_cores16384
- memory_bus—
- architecture—
- memory_bandwidth—
- total_graphics_power—
- tdp450W
- tierenthusiast
- vram24GB GDDR6X